Children with dyspraxia 'falsely labelled naughty'

Last updated at 11:13 24 September 2007

Thousands of children who have dyspraxia are misunderstood and unfairly labelled, according to a survey published today.

Sometimes unkindly referred to as "clumsy child" syndrome, developmental dyspraxia is an impairment of the organisation of movement which can lead to problems with coordination and simple day-to-day tasks many people take for granted.

But almost three-quarters of people questioned in a nationwide poll admitted that they thought behavioural and learning problems, common to conditions such as dyspraxia, were simply an excuse for naughty or disruptive children.

The survey was published to launch Dyspraxia Awareness Week, which starts today, and was commissioned by the Dyspraxia Foundation, which this year marks its 20th anniversary.

About half of the respondents said they had heard of dyspraxia - but when questioned further, less than a third (31 per cent) said they actually knew or understood what the condition was and how the daily lives of sufferers were affected.

Familiar symptoms of dyspraxia include frequent falling over, difficulty walking up and down stairs, problems in dressing, and lack of spatial awareness.

The condition is thought to affect up to 6 per cent of the population and up to 2 per cent severely. Males are four times more likely to be affected than females.

Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families, and anecdotal research suggests it is likely that there is one child affected in every class of 30 children.

The survey found there was a disparity with men and women's understanding of the condition. While 24 per cent of men said they know what dyspraxia is, this compared with 37 per cent of women.

ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,006 adults aged 18 and over by telephone between July 4 and 5.